Game Over
by Midnight Soliloquy
Summary: Mello tapped his chest over his heart. “This isn’t to play with, Matt, like your DS or PSP. This is for real."
1. Ain't Playin' Games

**A/N:** Hi there guys! Spice here. I really have no excuse for this. Blame boredom. And Mello, for being sexy. xD I fixed the page break error. Sorry guys!

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"Aw damn, I died! Again!"

Matt snorted in poorly concealed amusement at the blonde's obvious irritation.

"It takes practice, Mello."

"And I assume said 'practice' is your justification for sitting in front of the TV for eight hours a day?"

Matt gave a goofy grin. "You're just jealous."

The words 'Game Over' flashed obnoxiously on the screen, and Mello flung the controller at the ground in frustration. "Yeah, you wish."

Matt picked up the controller and offered it to Mello. The blonde scowled darkly at the offending piece of plastic before taking it grudgingly. Matt put his hands over Mello's on the buttons. "I'll help you."

Mello gave a mischievous smile, twisting out of the redhead's grip and maneuvering himself into his lap. The blonde rested his fingertips lightly on the gamer's collarbone. "I would greatly appreciate your…_help_," Mello purred, running his tongue up Matt's neck.

Matt shivered, letting the controller slip from his fingers. "Me-ells…"

Mello smirked into Matt's shoulder at the sound of his broken moan. The blonde turned his attention to the redhead's lips as said redhead went to work on Mello's deliciously-too-tight pants. Call of Duty 4 lay forgotten as the gamer's nimble fingers pushed an entirely different type of button.

--

"Matt. Ma-att. Matty Matt Matt!"

"G'way."

Mello folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Matt. Get up."

Matt rolled over and shoved his face into the pillow.

"Matt!"

"Gah. Wha tize it?"

"7:15."

Sleepy green eyes peered out from under tousled crimson bangs. "Mello, you're a douche."

Mello adopted a hurt expression. "I can't believe you just called me such a nasty name, you little shit." He punched Matt's arm playfully. "C'mon, get up. I made breakfast."

The redhead struggled groggily into a sitting position. "I'm up, I'm up!"

Mello looked on in amusement as Matt dug through the couch cushions in search of his various articles of clothing.

"Your boxers are on the lamp," the blonde said mildly before retreating into the kitchen.

Matt tried to ignore the laughter in Mello's blue eyes as he staggered, still mostly asleep, into the kitchen. "Don't tell me," he said before Mello could so much as open his mouth "because I don't want to know." The blonde shrugged and grinned, helping himself to a pancake, which Matt was dismayed to find was more chocolate chip than pancake.

"Are you trying to make me fat?" Matt muttered. Mello shrugged in a noncommittal fashion, reaching across the table for the bottle of chocolate syrup. Matt sighed and went for the cupboards. Cereal it was, then. Mello pushed his bottom lip out in a pout, but his eyes danced. "Sometimes I think you don't appreciate me."

Matt dug through a drawer in search of a spoon. "It's the thought that counts. But unlike you, I can't survive on a diet of pure chocolate."

Mello smiled innocently, and Matt opted to forsake his chair in favor of Mello's lap. The blonde sighed contentedly, and wrapping his arms around Matt's waist, laid his head on the redhead's shoulder. "I love you, Matty."

--

"Ma-att, you're such a _tease!_" Mello whimpered, squirming beneath the redhead's touch. Matt quirked an eyebrow at the blonde, his hands pausing on their journey up Mello's leather-clad legs. "Oh?"

"Yes, and you're—"

Matt captured Mello's lips, effectively cutting him off. He stroked the blonde's scarred cheek tenderly with the hand he wasn't using to prop himself up.

"A damn good kisser!" Mello finished, slightly out of breath, as Matt pulled away. The redhead chuckled, sitting back on Mello's hips and running his hands seductively up the blonde's chest.

"Oh, Mells." There was a suggestive undertone to the redhead's voice that caused the man in question to flush a pale pink. "I know just how to push your buttons to get a high score."

A scowl abruptly replaced Mello's shy smile and blush. "High score, hmm?" He sat up and shoved Matt roughly off of him. "Matt, you jerk!"

Matt clambered off the couch after him. "Mells!"

The blonde stomped his foot. "Do you care for me, Matt? Do you? Or am I just another one of your goddamned games?!" Matt's jaw worked furiously, but no sound came out. Mello's eyes were like ice. He expected an answer.

"Mells…" Matt said weakly.

Mello threw his arms out in exasperation. "Damnit Matt, why'd you gotta be like this?" he cried. "Do you know how many times I've said 'I love you' to you? A helluva lot. You know how many times you've said it to me? Not once. Not once, Matt!"

Matt couldn't stand the accusing look in Mello's sad blue eyes. He looked away. "Mells…" he said again, softer. "I…"

"No, shut up! I don't want to hear it." Mello tapped his chest over his heart. "This isn't to play with, Matt, like your DS or PSP. This is for _real,_ and guess what? Game over, Matt. Game over."

Matt was left in stunned silence at Mello dashed unshed tears from his eyes, then spun on his heel and stormed out the door.

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**A/N:** I suffer from the writer's condition when you don't know when to stop. Or you do, but keep going anyway. I actually wrote the fight scene first, and in my head, it kept throwing things at me, so it turned into...this. -sigh- And then I decided if I didn't sit down and write it RIGHT NOW, it would fade into oblivion. So I took out my pencil and notebook and was up until three a.m. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my stupid ideas... There is more of this coming, by the way. A lot more. WHOO HOO FOR NO MORE ONESHOTS!! xDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm not putting up a new chapter until I get reviews. How many? I'm not telling because you'll stop when you get there. xD


	2. The Road to Hell

**A/N:** Hey guys! Yeah, I know I'm a mean, horrible person for making you wait so long for this pathetic little chapter. -laugh- But here it is, finally.

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Matt champed irritably at the end of his cigarette. He was already more than halfway through a pack and it was just now two o' clock. He never smoked that much, unless under great stress. And Mello leaving was certainly a cause of great stress. He whipped out his phone and dialed Mello's number, beginning to pace. He hung up and threw the phone at the wall after a ring and a half. In the five days since his lover had walked out, Matt had attempted to call him thirty-two times, only to hang up before the blonde had even the slightest chance of picking up. Mentally, he kicked himself for being such a coward. He missed Mello dreadfully and longed to make things right, but he wasn't quite ready to face the blonde's wrath yet. Still pacing, he ran a hand through his messy blood-red hair. "Oh god, Mello, what have I done?" Stopping in the middle of the living room floor, he glanced uncertainly at the door. He chomped down on the cigarette in his indecision, so hard he bit the end clean off. He watched it fall to the ground, leaving a nasty little gray ash burn on the cream carpet. Annoyed, and his mind made up, he spat the other end at the carpet and dashed for the door, grabbing his coat, and after a moment's hesitation, his gun, and ran out of the apartment.

--

Matt kicked at a stone viciously, watching with grim satisfaction as it skittered out into the road and was crushed to dust by an oncoming car. He had searched all of his and Mello's favorite haunts, talked to several friends, and still had found no trace of the spunky, sexy blonde. Hell, he had even stuck his head in the local chocolate store. The redhead was beginning to get discouraged. A sudden thought struck him, and he stopped short. Of course! Where better to go after a fight (breakup? Matt hoped to god not) than a bar? Though he sincerely hoped Mello wasn't still there after almost a week, he had no other leads, so it was worth a shot.

--

The redhead hesitated outside of one of the many bars that he and Mello frequented and took a deep breath. What would he do if he actually found Mello inside? What if Mello didn't _want _to come home? God, he hadn't thought of that. What if he never wanted to see Matt again? He didn't know if he could handle that. The gamer took another deep breath. He couldn't bear to go another day without the fiery blonde. He had to at least try. He swung the door open and stood on the threshold for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the bar. There were approximately three people in the bar: an oddly colored lump of a man passed out on the bar, the frighteningly large bartender whose bald head showed off the crisscross of scars running from his temples back across his head to his ears, and the man he had come looking for. Matt's heart nearly broke all over again to see his once-beautiful lover in such a state. "Oh, _Mello…_" he gasped. Even from the doorway, Mello was easily recognizable. Shoulder length golden locks in tangled disarray, face pale, and eyes bloodshot and ringed in dark. That, along with his tight, ultra low-rise leather pants, and short, equally tight leather vest, (was that _lipstick_ on his cheek?) made Mello look like a prostitute that had had a rough night. Matt wondered with a slight twinge of anger what exactly Mello had been up to. But the ache in his chest was greater, and he hesitantly approached the blonde, who was perched somewhat unsteadily on a bar stool. "Mells?" Matt said quietly, touching his shoulder.

Mello spun around, eyes narrowed in silent fury. "You! What are you doing here, you asswipe?"

Matt took a step back, startled by Mello's ferocity. "Mello, I…I came to—"

"I don't care what the hell you came for, Matt, get out!" the blonde slurred angrily.

Matt sighed and pushed his goggles onto the top of his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Mello, you're drunk."

Mello laughed brokenly, leaning back onto the bar and looking up at Matt with his bloodshot blue eyes. "No shit I am, why the hell d'you think I'm here?"

Matt put an arm around his waist. "Let me take you home."

Mello punched him in the face. Matt staggered back with the force of the blow. He rubbed his cheek ruefully as Mello stared him down defiantly.

"Well, that will definitely bruise," the redhead said with a wry smirk. "Mells, you're flipping out."

"Flipping out?" Mello rose from his seat. "Flipping out? You think I'm _flipping out?!_" The blonde's voice had suddenly jumped several octaves. "You want flipping out, Matt? I'll show you flipping out!"

Matt barely had time to blink before he found himself staring down the barrel of Mello's handgun. He swallowed hard. "That's definitely flipping out."

Mello was trembling from head to toe, but his aim was true. "Matt," he said slowly, "Go away."

"Me-e-e-e-llo-o-o…" Matt drew out the blonde's name carefully. "Put it away."

Mello was shaking harder, but jaw was clenched so hard his muscles twitched in protest.

"Mells," Matt whispered tenderly. "You know what I'm gonna say, don't you?"

Mello shook his head furiously, tears brimming in his eyes. "Don't," he said brokenly. "If you don't mean it, please, don't!" He went to take a step forward, but he staggered, and blue eyes rolling back into his head, fainted clean away, gun clattering harmlessly to the floor. Matt caught him effortlessly, scooping the blonde into his arms bridal style. "I love you," the redhead breathed in Mello's ear, bending to pick up the gun. Matt wrinkled his nose slightly at the stench of alcohol emanating from his unconscious lover. "You're gonna have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, my friend."

--

Matt readjusted his grip on Mello so that the blonde's head was resting on his shoulder, rather than hanging out of his arms. "Don't expect to make a habit of this, Mello," Matt grunted. "You're heavier than you look." By now, the sky was almost completely black, and from what Matt remembered, he still had a ways to go. He sighed heavily, his breath ruffling Mello's hair gently. "Oh Mells, I hope I'm doing the right thing"

--

"Hey, you! Get out of here!"

Matt approached the two men guarding the door of the warehouse-looking building fearlessly. He nodded at the unconscious blonde in his arms. "I've got someone to see Near."

The mountain-sized men scowled and stepped towards him, but the door swung open, revealing a tall, elegant woman with ash-blonde hair. "Mello has not been to visit for quite some time. Near will be most pleased to see him. Come." She turned on a shiny, black heel and disappeared back into shadowy doorway. Matt followed after a moment of hesitation, and he just couldn't resist making a face at the two guards as he breezed past.

The hallway was pitch black except for dim, floor-level lighting, and Matt's eyes adjusted slowly. It was totally silent as well, except for the sharp click-click-click of the woman's heels on the floor.

"Is he injured?"

Matt jumped, the woman's question quite suddenly shattering the oppressive silence.

"Mello? Nah, just wasted."

The woman stopped by a door so abruptly that Matt nearly ran into her. She opened it, and in the sudden rush of light that made the redhead squint, he could see she was smiling.

"You can put him in here. Near will be informed, and I will escort you out."

Matt gave her a suspicious look before ducking into the disturbingly white room and laying his charge on the bed. Matt smoothed Mello's hair, traced the perimeter of his scar with his fingertips, and kissed his forehead. "Please don't hate me for this," the redhead murmured. "I know you don't get along too well with Near sometimes, but I think some time with an old friend is better for you right now than time with me." Matt placed a final kiss on Mello's forehead before turning on his heel and walking out of the room without looking back.

--

"What are you to him?"

Matt gave the woman a funny look. "I fail to see how that's any of your concern."

She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Just curiosity. Please don't take offense."

Matt was quiet for a long moment, letting the silent darkness of the long hallway close in around them. "His lover," he snapped eventually, but turned his eyes to the floor in a sudden rush of guilt.

"You had a fight," the woman said softly.

Matt looked up at her, startled. "Yes. How…?"

She smiled briefly. "Call it a woman's intuition."

A few more steps and they stopped, reaching the door at long last. The woman hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something, but not sure what to say. On sudden impulse, Matt thrust his hand at her with a lopsided smile. "Matt."

Surprised, the woman accepted his hand and shook it with a matching, though much more dignified, smile. "Hal."

The redhead's expression became serious, and he gripped Hal's hand firmly, his emerald eyes piercing into hers. "Take care of him," he told her sternly.

"I will," she whispered. He nodded sharply, accepting her answer, then walked out the door.

Hal watched him vanish into the night. "I promise."

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**A/N: **Hey, guess what? I'm gonna let you guys in on a little secret. -whispers- I have up to chapter five finished. So review, review! All you people that read and don't review, I know who your are! The little hit counter keeps track of you!


	3. Far From Heaven, Near to Hell

**A/N:** Hi there. Missy here. I did NOT write this chapter, I don't even know if I edited this one. Spice wrote this brilliant story and all credit goes to her. She was just unable to post it due to her lack of internet access. She kinda forgot to tell me what to put in the note but I wanted to let you know something. All of you who like this story as much as I do owe me a thank you. I had to cut a deal to get her to post this chapter. I had to write her a story which I haven't quite finished yet but I thought I'd go ahead and post this because I know how many of you are looking forward to it. Enjoy!**

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White. White everywhere. Mello thought he had died and gone to heaven, until he realized he was lying on a bed, not a cloud, and from what he remembered hearing, there was no pain in heaven, so his splitting headache made heaven improbable. Besides, there wasn't any chocolate. He blinked a few times in attempt to focus his blurry vision, and a face swam into view. Mello gasped involuntarily, and a slim finger was pressed against his lips.

"Hush now Mello, it's only me."

"Near?" Mello struggled into a sitting position, his stomach roiling unpleasantly. He clamped his hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for it to settle.

"Or, should I say Mihael?"

"Near," Mello said drily, gaining control of his nausea. "It's Mello now."

The albino laughed humorlessly. "Touchy, as usual." Near sat on the edge of the bed, reaching to stroke Mello's hair. "I've missed you, my beautiful blonde. Why haven't you been to see me?"

"Because I don't like you."

Near gave Mello's hair a warning tug, causing the blonde's head to start throbbing all over again. "That's too bad, considering you're stuck here for a while."

Mello gave Near an odd look but said nothing, as the white-haired man began to stroke the blonde's cheek with his knuckles. Mello shivered as Near studied his clothing with an expression that could only be described as desire. The albino pulled his hand away reluctantly, swinging his legs onto the bed and climbing on top of the blonde, straddling his hips. Mello swallowed hard, his blue eyes widening in the beginnings of fear. Near grinned, flat black eyes lit with lust. He ran his hands over Mello's neck and through his hair, cupping the back of his head.

"Mihael…" the white-haired man's voice was feral, somewhere in between a growl and a moan. Near fisted his hands in Mello's hair, pulling his head back and bending to lick and nibble at the blonde's exposed throat. Mello let out a strangled cry, shoving Near backwards and kicking out with his long legs, knocking the blank-eyed man off the bed. Mello drew his knees up to his chest, breathing heavily. Near got to his feet slowly, face clouded with anger.

"You _bitch!_" he struck Mello across the face. The blonde's head snapped to the side, and before he had time to recover from the blow, the albino grabbed a fistful of gold hair and threw Mello from the bed. He let out a sharp cry as his head cracked against the white tile floor, leaving a smear of blood. Near advanced on him, his opaque eyes ablaze. He straddled Mello's hips again, this time pinning his arms over his head. The blonde struggled weakly, his head pounding too much for him to put up much of a fight.

"I want you, Mihael," Near murmured heavily. "I've wanted you for a very long time. And I always get what I want."

Blue eyes still managing to burn with defiance glared up at him. "I always knew you were nothing but a spoiled child."

Near hit him again. "Shut up!"

Mello laughed. "Throwing a tantrum because you can't have what you want, brat?"

Near was enraged. "I _will_ have you!" He clawed at Mello's shirt frantically, tearing it off and tossing it to the side, then yanked the blonde's pants down by the belt loops. Fear returned to Mello's eyes. He hadn't thought Near was capable of taking it this far. Blank eyes devoured Mello's naked form greedily. Near quickly rid himself of his own clothes, and captured the blonde's lips in a harsh, bruising kiss. Mello clenched his eyes shut, curling his hands into fists. This was _not_ what kisses were supposed to be like. Near bit at his lips roughly, in unskilled, eager passion, and soon Mello was bleeding. The albino began to feel Mello up, from his scarred face, to his firm stomach, to the milk-white skin of his inner thighs. The blonde hated Near pawing at him in such a cold manner. There was no tenderness, no love in the white-haired man's touch. Likewise, the only expression in Near's flat gaze was hunger. Mello resigned himself to his fate. What more could he do in such a state, in such a position? He turned his head to the side, unable to bear staring into those depthless black eyes as Near flexed his hips and thrust into him with such force that Mello felt his flesh tear. The blonde let out a heartbroken cry, but was otherwise silent as tears streamed from his blue eyes.

Near grinned wickedly, sweat plastering ivory hair to his face. "You're mine now…"

Mello could only cry harder and wait for the nightmare to end.

--

Near had left over three hours ago, and Mello still hadn't picked himself up off the floor. He pressed his cheek to the cool tiles. The blonde could feel it beginning to swell up, in ugly shades of purple, blue, and green. The back of his head was wet and sticky with blood from his encounter with the floor, and blood oozed all the way down the inside of his legs. Shaking with effort, he pushed himself up with his arms. His stomach churned in protest, and Mello turned his head to the side and was violently sick, tearing open the scabs that had just begun to form on his torn lips. He cursed the tears that began to spill from his eyes once again, mingling with the blood and bile on the white floor, as his whole body heaved with the effort of purging his stomach. Gasping for air, he groaned softly as his stomach clenched painfully. He ducked his head and vomited again. When his retching finally stopped, Mello collapsed in a weary heap, still crying. Angrily, he dashed tears from his eyes, wincing as his fingers connected roughly with his bruising cheek. The blonde curled into as small of a ball as his aching body would allow. He shuddered. Near was the devil, and this was hell.

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**A/N:** So what did you think? As always reviews are very important because I'm telling you now that she _will not_ post the next chapter without them. Also review because they make her happy and it's really funny to watch.


	4. Not So White

**A/N:** Hey guys, Spices here! Phew, so I finally got a new chapter up! Yay! Sorry I made you wait so long, I know, I'm terrible.

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After seven days of torment, the white room wasn't so white anymore. Dried blood covered the floor in pools and drips, rusty colored smears dragged down the walls, and the crisp white bed sheets were crusted in crimson. The place smelled of blood, vomit, sweat, and piss. Mello had wedged himself into a corner, wrapped only in a thin, stained sheet. There was a haunted look in the blonde's once bright eyes. Across the room, the doorknob turned with a click, and Mello started violently, fear lighting his eyes.

"Hello, Mihael."

Mello squeezed his eyes shut, shrinking into the corner. "Near, please," he whispered brokenly. "Please, just go away."

Bare feet came to a halt right in front of the cowering blonde. Near struck him across the face. "Now why would I do that? You'd be awfully lonely, and that would be terribly cruel of me."

Mello winced at his sarcastic words. The albino yanked the sheet out of Mello's grip, and the blonde flinched away as Near reached out to him, and his blue eyes widened as Near merely caressed his cheek.

The blank-eyed man smiled humorlessly. "You're afraid of me." He shoved his face at Mello's, his smile becoming a shark-like grin. "You should be."

Mello's eyes blazed with anger, and he, quite impulsively, punched Near in the jaw. The blonde seemed just as surprised as Near when his fist connected with the albino's chin, snapping his head back and sending him reeling. Regaining his balance, Near wiped blood from his face with murder in his eyes. Mello scrambled to his feet as Near glared down at him menacingly.

"You shouldn't have done that," Near said, his voice icy calm with barely concealed fury. He snatched at Mello, pale fingers twisting in golden hair. Near flung the blonde away, black eyes burning. Mello hit the wall with a loud crack, clinging to it in a desperate attempt to keep from sliding to the floor. Breathing heavily, legs shaking, the blonde glared up at Near with shadowed eyes.

"Enough is enough."

Near's face twisted into a mask of fury. "Son of a—" He flew at Mello in a mad rage. Mello spun on the ball of his foot, kicking up with his other leg and landing a hit in the middle of Near's chest, sending the albino crashing into the wall. The instant Mello's foot hit the floor, he spun again to keep his back to the wall, and dropped into a fighting crouch. Near was trembling, barely controlling his temper, his fists clenched in a white knuckle grip. He lashed out before the weary blonde had time to react, catching the side of his head and knocking him to the floor. Near was on him in an instant, pounding Mello into the ground mercilessly. Mello thrust his knees up sharply, catching the albino in the gut, and rolled to his feet as Near struggled for breath. The blonde relaxed momentarily as Near gasped for air, and was caught completely off guard as a foot swept his legs out from under him. Pale, frozen fingers locked around his neck like a steel clamp, hauling him to his feet. Mello scrabbled at the long fingers constricting his windpipe, letting out a tiny, gasping sob. Near was silent as he slammed Mello's head against the wall until it began to turn red. The albino threw Mello at the nightstand, knocking the lamp to the floor with a deafening crash. The blonde let out a breathless cry as his ribs cracked sharply against the harsh corner of the small table, knocking the wind out of him. He slid to the glass-strewn floor, spots dancing before his eyes. With a sneer, Near kicked his bleeding side before grinding his heel into the back of Mello's head. The blonde gasped, black threatening to overtake his vision. Near laughed darkly, slipping out of his pants and flipping Mello onto his stomach. There was no foreplay, no warning, just pain. Near sheathed himself inside the blonde with one thrust. Mello screamed. His slim hands dragged across the floor, leaving bloody handprints smeared on the tile. Sweat and blood from Near's face dripped onto Mello's back, and the albino's rasping, lusty gasps right in his ears were too much for the blonde to take. Tears streamed down his bruised cheeks, picking up a red tint from the broken flesh. Scarlet droplets spattered on the white floor, looking as if the blonde angel was crying blood.

Near left him there, limp on the floor, as he retrieved his pants and dressed. With a malicious smile, Near ruffled Mello's hair in mock affection. "Be seeing you, Mihael."

Mello watched him go through half-closed eyes. Blood was crusting on the albino's chin, crimson spattered his shirt and pants, and his hands were covered in it.

_The blood will wash off your body but not off of your soul. You're not as pure as you'd like us to believe. You're not so white either, Near._

_--_

"Hal!" Near's voice cracked like a whip, and the blonde woman was at his side in an instant. Near looked like an angel out of hell, the red blood standing out on his white clothes even in the dim light of the hallway. His flat black eyes were almost crazed, sweat and blood were caked on his face, and his pale hands were crimson. Hal swallowed. He had just come out of Mello's room.

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**A/N:** I'm soooooo sorry about that gigantic, ugly, monsterous block of text, but I didn't know how to break it up! The next chapter will hopefully be up soon...ish. -laughs- I hate homework.


	5. Hallelujah

**A/N: **Hey guys, Spice here. I cannot appologize ENOUGH for this being so late, I am so, so, so so so so sorry! It's not a very good chapter either, unfortunatly. It's pretty badly written, so sorry for that too. In other news, Missy and I are doing NaNoWriMo this month, so there won't be anything new this month. But have no fear! I have the next few chapters of this written, it just needs desperate editing. I will try really, really hard to get that done for you amazing people, alright? **

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**The metallic click of the lock turning shattered the silence of the once-white room, jolting Mello out of a fitful slumber. He bolted upright, eyes alight with a feverish terror. The blonde crossed himself as the door swung open behind him.

"Oh God, my God!" he cried. "Why have you forsaken me?!" Mello pounded his fists on the floor. "For once in your life, Near, show some compassion and kill me! For once in your life!" Bitter tears left tracks down the blonde's grimy cheeks.

"Oh, _Mello!_"

Mello's head snapped around to face the intruder, blue eyes widening. A woman, tall and blonde, stood on the threshold, a bundle tucked under one arm, her face the very picture of horror.

"Mello, oh my God, Mello!" Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she rushed to his side.

"…Hal?" Mello said slowly, not quite believing. "It's been awhile."

She laughed half-heartedly, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, what has Near _done_ to you?" She gently inspected his wounds while making soft sobbing noises.

Mello frowned. "Why are you crying? You barely know me."

Hal licked her sleeve and wiped blood off of his forehead. "Because Near has no right to treat you this way. You're a person, Mello, not just another one of his toys. Besides, I promised your friend I'd look after you."

Mello looked up at her sharply. "Matt…" he said quietly. "He…he brought me here?"

"Yes, but only with your best intentions in mind. He thought it would be better if he didn't see you for a while." Hal unwrapped the bundle, which turned out to be his clothes, and handed it to him. "I want to help you. He loves you, Mello."

Tears dripped from blue eyes, and Mello scrubbed at his face furiously. "Enough with the goddamn tears already! I'm tired of crying."

"Don't be ashamed. You've had every reason to," Hal said quietly, helping him into his vest.

Mello's eyes burned, but he said nothing. She pressed something into his palm, and the blonde gunman gazed down at the rosary beads in his hand.

"Have faith, Mello. There is still some good in the world." Hal curled his fingers around the cross. Mello clenched it tightly, as if he would never let go. Hal helped him to his feet, and the blonde leaned against her heavily.

"Can you walk? Because I'm not carrying you."

Mello smiled for the first time in over a week.

The long, dark hall seemed never ending at their sluggish pace, but somehow they managed to make it through the crushing black unnoticed. Hal ducked out of a small back door, checking for guards. She made an 'all clear' motion, and Mello followed her out the door, to find the sun just beginning to set. He took Hal's hand, meeting her eyes.

"You must be an angel, because you saved me from hell."

Speechless, Hal could only dash tears from her eyes as Mello slipped into a shadowed alley. She turned back inside. She had to make herself useful before Near or the others noticed her absence.

---

Matt's green eyes were intensely focused on the TV screen, but his frantic button mashing was unusually half-hearted. His chest ached with loneliness, and even with the comically loud video game explosions, the apartment seemed oddly silent without Mello's usual yelling, bitching, and crunching. But really, it was better that they were separated for the time being. Both blonde and redhead needed time to cool down. Had they been confined to their tiny apartment, the resulting fights would have caused irreparable damage. There was a sudden noise from the door that caused Matt to start so violently he dropped his controller. The sounds continued, and Matt made for the door, ignoring the loud, explodey protests coming from his game. Hesitantly, the redhead turned the lock and swung open the door. It goes without saying that he was more than a little surprised when leather-clad blonde fell into his arms.

"The hell, Mello? You finally come crawling back, huh?"

Mello didn't respond, clinging to Matt with a white-knuckle grip and hiding his face in the redhead's neck. Matt frowned. Mello always rose to the bait. Always.

"Mells?"

With a choked sob, the blonde turned his face up to meet the gamer's gaze.

"Holy shit…" Matt cupped Mello's bruised and bloodied face in his hands. "Mells, what happened to you?!" Mello shook his head slowly, tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Damn tears!" he burst suddenly.

Matt wiped his face gently, carefully avoiding the broken skin. "Mello," the redhead said firmly. "What happened?"

Mello shuddered. "Near."

Matt's emerald eyes widened, his eyebrows disappearing under messy crimson bangs. "Near did this to you?"

Mello nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"Bastard!" Matt released his grip on the blonde, diving for the gun under the couch.

"Matt…" Mello said weakly, swaying dangerously now that his support had disappeared.

"You're right!" Matt dropped the gun like it was on fire and dashed back to the blonde. "We gotta take care of you first." He grabbed Mello around the waist, and the beaten gunman cried out in pain. The redhead yanked his arms back. His hands were shaking. "S-sorry, sorry. I just…I guess I'm freaking out a little." Matt looked Mello over quickly. He was in worse shape than the gamer had first thought. The blonde was barely standing, his hand clamped protectively over his side.

"Wh-what did he do to you?"

"A-a lot of th-things…" Mello stammered, not meeting Matt's worried gaze. The redhead reached a hand towards the zipper of Mello's vest.

"May I?"

If Matt hadn't known Mello as well as he did, the gamer would have called the look that flashed across the blonde's face fear. But this was Mello. Tough-talking, gun-slinging, leather-wearing, badass Mello. Mello was not afraid of anything, especially not taking his shirt off. He was sexy and he knew it. But eventually, the blonde nodded, and Matt unzipped his vest. The redhead nearly choked. Mello's smooth, tanned chest was black and blue and putrid green with bruises, and his side was torn open and crusted with dried blood. Sticky red liquid was still oozing sluggishly from the wound.

"M-Matt…" the blonde whimpered. "I'm so sorry…"

"No…Mells, no…" Matt was shaking just as badly as Mello was. "I'm the one who's sorry. I never should have…I didn't mean… Oh Mells!"

Mello's weary legs refused to hold him upright any longer, and they gave out from under him. Matt caught him as he fell, holding the broken blonde to his chest. "Oh Mells, I love you so much!"


End file.
